Parliamentary candidates response

[Newuser123123]

I sent the following to my local candidates

Please could you tell me, if elected, how you would protect women's sex based rights to single sex spaces (in prisons, refuges, changing rooms, sports etc)?
Thank you

Will post responses....

I have never, ever voted Tory and the thought is appalling me. But I will not vote for any candidate or party that won't recognise or protect women's rights.

Granted, we wouldn't be IN this mess if not for Maria Miller, but at the moment the only party I could conceivably vote for would be the Cons. Not saying I will, but it's that or spoil my ballot.

Parliament will be dissolved at midnight tonight for closure of Parliament, all sitting MPs will no longer have MP status and therefore their parliamentary email address is no longer easily accessible to them, so you may not receive a reply if you use email addresses you have previously used for existing MPs.

Some prospective parliamentary candidates have not even been selected yet, I think they don’t have to be in place until the 26 November.

Might be worth waiting until then, to ensure that we are contacting the right people. Their correct contact details should be available from their promotional materials/the party websites.

Fuck me you lot aren't thinking of voting tory over this are you? They may know what women are but they have presided over the past 10 years of Overton window shifting and introduced the idea of GRA reform in the first place. Not to mention, the NHS and Brexit, both issues we can't afford to throw over for the weak and paltry protection of the tories!

Sorry but I have just heard this 'hold your nose and vote' shit one too many times now from the left.

I don't think I will vote Tory but I will not vote for a party that espouses this shit. I will not. And I will not feel one iota of guilt about that.

I'm also having a hard time getting past the mental block / years of class hatred taught by my parents to be able to vote Conservative this time, as they seem to be yards ahead of the other parties on considering women to be human. What an indictment.

I know what my sitting Labour MP's position is (patronising and woke, by her replies to my letters) and will be contacting the Tory challenger to see if his differs. Thread is helpful, thanks for posting replies so far.

I have never, ever voted Tory and the thought is appalling me. But I will not vote for any candidate or party that won't recognise or protect women's rights.

Seconded.

I spoiled my ballot last time.

I live in a safe Tory seat so for the first time will be spoiling my ballot. I hope the suffragettes will forgive me but I will not vote for a party that does not respect my sex (to paraphrase). Given my MP’s majority was over 20,000 last time I don’t think it will matter.

26th November is the deadline for people to register to vote.

The closing date for nominations for candidates is 14th November with definitive lists being announced on the 16th. As above, parties may still be in the process of selecting candidates in some constituencies, but some good tips up thread for how to track down details for your own constituency.

Muststop I think you must be my neighbour! Like you I'm considering spoiling my ballot, in these circumstances I think the suffragettes would understand...at least I hope so. I feel terribly guilty.

There is a website called ‘Who Can I Vote For’ DoyouremembertheinnMiranda 7worfs

whocanivotefor.co.uk/

You just put your postcode in. It’s run by something called Democracy Club which claims to be non-partisan. It doesn't have contact details but I guess that once you have a name you can google their email. I only did my constituency but they seem to have a big team of volunteers and supporters so I assume it will be updated regularly.

I have no one to vote for I’m a feminist Remainer who would accept a soft Brexit.

Tories can’t be trusted on anything Brexit + the odious liar Boris are the absolute nails in their coffin.

LibDems want to throw women under the bus and seem pleased about it and want women to be pleased about it.

Labour - I will not vote for Corbyn AND the sitting Lab MP in my constituency is pro-life who voted against the NI abortion law change vote and abstained on the NI same-sex marriage vote.

Green? What’s the point frankly. I have never spoiled a ballot paper, I have never not voted. But this time I think I might just have to write what I think on my paper and leave it at that.

FWIW my Lib Dem candidate had genuinely not come across GC concerns as an issue before. She was incredibly easy to peak trans, and is busy telling her team why women's sex-based rights need to be protected. She will get my vote.

I suspect a lot of the rank and file of many Parties are like the general public. - They've been told that trans rights are just like gay rights were back in the day. Because of the success of the silencing campaign they've never really looked further into what is really going on, and just follow the Party line because it seems to fit with being nice to people and having liberal values. And trans activists have been successful in capturing the areas of influence in politics as they have in companies, regulators, charities and the rest. Stonewall's name carries a lot of weight with people who have always been strong advocates of gay rights and gay marriage, and they still listen to them. But it is sometimes possible to open their eyes.

Some brave and perceptive SNP women have had the courage to come out openly as GC and support each other in doing so against their leadership's line, which could really be a tipping point because it makes argument and dissent legitimate. It would be great if the same could happen in other Parties.

Incidentally, no reply from Labour or the Lib Dem after two days...

Just had an electioneering letter from my local Lib Dem candidate which had the local email address. I sent them an email with the questions from the WPUK website:
womansplaceuk.org/2019/11/05/5-questions-for-your-prospective-parliamentary-candidates/
Awaiting my scolding.

I know someone who is on the NEC for Plaid so raised this issue with them and asked what the Plaid position is on safeguarding single sex spaces and protecting women & girls. The response indicated that the party is split about this issue (no surprise there) with Leanne 'outdated biology' Woods on one side and GC women like Helen Mary Jones on the other, & an unwritten agreement to agree to disagree at the moment. Apparently it's unlikely that they will make any sort of public statement because Adam Price's main focus is on stopping Brexit and so that's the issue they're focusing on for this election.

I'm still considering voting for them over anyone else or spoiling my ballot as I think the discussion is still ongoing within Plaid, and there is more of a GC feeling within the rank & file than hitherto, so I still have hopes they'll commit to supporting women & girls' single sex spaces. I will be making my concerns known to them on the doorstep though. Plus I'm in a Plaid-Labour marginal and the thought of Labour getting in with their inability to know what a woman is not one I'm comfortable with......

I might vote for Plaid then. I think Helen Mary Jones is great. Lianne Woods is an idiot.

Agree with both of those statements, SirVix

So for that statement alone, from a constituency far far away from me, I'll be voting Green.

I had copied the contents of an email from a party member below, but realised it might too outing for the author so requested it be deleted. Said person understands how we may be "PISSED OFF" with the GP for its stance on GC issues.

After a prompt, here's the response from my Labour candidate:
"Please be assured that I am a robust supporter of women’s rights. I am aware that the specific point you raise in your query has become part of a wider and more complex issue recently. My understanding is that the Equality and Human Rights Commission intends to publish their guidance on this shortly and I hope this will clarify matters for us all."

Bit of a sidestep but could be worse, I spose?

And from the Lib Dem, who stressed this was their personal vote as the manifesto isn't published yet:
"From my limited view, the debate on transgender issues (which is what I think we're discussing) has become particularly intense and some terms used, such as gender-critical, are viewed not as a shorthand definition but as a term of abuse by others with contrary views (I'm not an expert but it seems a useful definition). I recognise genuine concerns over enforced sharing of space and the possible potential for abuse of such a situation, however rare. I strongly believe that we should not oppress other people (including individuals), whether by means of race, religion, belief, gender or gender identification etc; therefore, we should seek to ensure safe spaces in the areas you mention (and I recognise that trans people may well seek the same levels of safety themselves). How to do so? By pushing for (regulating for) an adequate range of facilities rather than options solely governed by cost, especially in spaces where residents / users don't have the option of going elsewhere. The Human Rights Act may also provide options, although it's be hoped that isn't necessary."

If there is any benefit to be had by this GE I think it may be that our questions to PCs might have gotten a few people thinking critically. Maybe a desperate few, but it is a start.

I'm still at a loss as to who to vote for I know my daughter is probably going to vote Corbyn they are students they love unisex loos and have a transgender student living with them she has a beard and a whisky voice

Got this response from the Con candidate in my area, no response from the other candidates. Interested to hear what you think about it. Personally, I don't like the focus on my 'feelings' and 'worries' rather than the facts I have presented, feels belittling. Also, the reassurance about the Equality Act shows ignorance as to how it's already being undermined. The mention of criminal laws being in place to prosecute anyone acting inappropriately in changing rooms shows a massive amount of ignorance and lack of analysis on this issue (in that case lets take all the locks off our front doors, because there are laws in place to prosecute anyone who steals from us...) In contrast, flattering my 'important points' (without mentioning what they were) suggests she's hoping to win my vote by massaging my ego. Not impressed overall, feels very glib:

Many thanks for your email and for including the links. I do appreciate how emotive this issue is for many people and how strongly you feel.

Let me start by giving you some reassurance, under the Equality Act 2010, some organisations may treat people with the protected characteristic of gender reassignment differently in particular circumstances when it comes to accessing single- and separate-sex services, such as services provided to survivors of domestic abuse. The guidance on the issue makes it explicitly clear that the exception can only be used in particular circumstances and where there is no less discriminatory way of providing the service.

Single sex services for vulnerable people, such as refuges, have robust risk assessment procedures that allow them to turn away anyone who poses a threat to vulnerable women. There are already existing laws to protect women, such as the Sexual Offences Act 2003, which contains a wide range of offences designed to protect people of all ages from sexual abuse and exploitation. Criminal laws are in place to stop anyone of any gender behaving in a threatening manner in a toilet or changing room, or harassing or attacking people.

My view has always been that people should be largely free to do whatever they want with their own lives unless it impacts on someone else. That said, you raise some very important points and I do think it is important to have a full and open debate on issues such as this.

If I am elected on December 12th, I would be very happy to meet with you and discuss all of your worries in detail. I will then very happily take the issue up with the relevant Minister on your behalf, to ensure that your serious concerns are properly considered.